Cutting apparatus.



.l. H. MUNRO.

CUTTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.2. I909.

1, 1 34,2 17. Patented .Apr. 6, 1915,

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THE NORRIS PETERS ca, PHOTOLITHQ. WASHINGTON. D. C.

' TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. MUNRO, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OE ONE-HALF TO JOHMILTON VAN DIR-DEN, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

CUTTING APPARATUS.

Application filed January 2, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. MUNRO, of Newark, New Jersey, have inventedcertain Improvements in Cutting Apparatus, of which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawings, 1s aspecification, like letters on the drawings designating like parts.

This invention relates to cutting apparatus, and is of special utilitywhen embodied in apparatus for trimming to the desired size and shapethe sheets or units of roofing material known as inlaid slate whichusually are formed by cementing with an elastic cement such as asphalt anumber of small squares of slate (slightly thicker than the slates usedcommercially on roofs) upon a backing of flexible material such asroofing paper, this composite material not being capable of treatment bythe usual devices employed by slateroofers, on account of the toughpaper, the brittle character of the slates,v and the tenacious qualityof the cement. It will be understood however that I contemplate the useof my improvements in any field for which they are adapted by theirnature.

An important object of my invention is to provide for a rapidly workingdevice which can be placed in the hands of relatively unskilled workmenwhether used on a roof to trim the individual units to fit in places requiring unusual shapes, or whether to be used in the mill where theslates are manufactured, to trim the units to standard size, it beingrequisite in each instance that the cut edges of the slate, backing andbinding layer of cement shall be sharply defined and clean as well astrue, so as to make possible an exact fit when the units are laid withtheir out edges in abutting relation.

Another important object of my invention is to provide apparatus inwhich a plurality of such cutting members shall be arranged to cooperatefor the trimming at a single stroke of the margins of one or more ofthese slate units.

The various features of my invention will be illustrated and describedfully in the accompanying drawings and specification and pointed out inthe claims.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a view in vertical, transverse section,with parts shown in elevation, of aslate-cutter in a construction ofwhich my improvements have been Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

Serial No. 470,386.

embodied; and Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of the same; Fig. 3illustrates in perspective cutting apparatus having a plurality ofcutting devices respectively embodying my improvements.

In the embodiment of my invention. selected for illustration anddescription to enable ready and complete understanding of myimprovements and referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the part designatedby the reference numeral 1 is a cutting member which may be of anysuitable construction and materialto efiect the rapid and cleanseverance of such an article as the inlaid slate units to which I havealready referred, composed of pieces of slate cemented with asphalt to abacking of roofing paper in the preferred form of such units. As oneconvenient form of the aforesaid cutting member I have shown a blade ofsaw steel, provided with teeth 2 along its forward edge, which may beformed in a convex curve in order to secure a desirable downward actionof the edges of the teeth at every point of engagement with the articleto be out which in the instance illustrated is an inlaid slate unit,bearing the reference numeral 3, this numeral designating the pieces ofslate, while the reference numeral 4 designates the backing, and 5 theintervening layer of cement. Preferably a suitable support will beprovided for rigidly supporting one or more of the inlaid-slate unitsand this may take any suitable form, as for example, that designated bythe reference numeral 6 which is applied to the worktable proper, while7 designates the upright walls of the box-like structure upon which theworktable is mounted.

I prefer to mount the pressure saw 1 pivotally upon the work-support asupon the bearing stud or arbor 8 at the rear of the worktable, which isshown in the instance illustrated as having a slot, the walls 9 of whichserve as cooperating shear members, with the saw blade. being preferablyfaced with angle strips of metal 10 for that purpose. Reinforcing strips11 may also be provided as indicated in Fig. 2, upon the vertical wallsof the work-support.

The inlaid slate units are frequently made in rectangular form, eitheras boards approximately twice as long as their width, or as squares, andwhen the article to be trimmed has two of its marfer to provide the millin which they are manufactured with ,apparatus for trimming at a singlestroke two or more of these margins, and such apparatus may take anysuitable form.

I ha e shown in Fig. 3, in perspective apparatus suitable for trimming aplurality of the edges of an inlaid slate unit or simi: lar articlewhether in the form of a square or a longer rectangle, and it will beunderstood that I describe the rectangular form merely as a convenientillustration 'of the capabilities of this feature of my invention.

In Fig. 3 two pressure saws 24 and 25, of the type described above withreference to Fig. 1, are shown as mounted at 26 pivotally upon thesupport 27, and, for con-v venience and rigidity in operation these sawsmay have cross connections at various points such as the stay-bar 28,and the cross handle 29, by which the operator may pull the saws downagainst any article placed upon the worktable 30 and extending over thesaw slots 31 which I prefer to provide with shoes or straight edges 32to cooperate with the saws 24 and 25.

In order to relieve the operator of the necessity of lifting the sawsafter each cutting stroke, and to hold the saws normally in position foractuation, I may provide suitable counter-weights 33, serving as oneconvenient form of means to hold the saws in upright inoperativeposition. I prefer to provide also suitable means to hold the articlesto be trimmed upon the worktable firmly in adjusted position during thetrimming operation, and any suitable form of such means may be provided;One convenient form of such means is shown at 34 1 in Fig. 3 as a flapor coverboard mounted pivotally near its rear edge on bearing studs orshafts 35 journaledin lugs 36, so that the board may be swung down ontop of the article to be trimmed or may be swung upward and away fromsaid article.

In operation, the article having been placed upon the worktable 30,which is preferably deep enough transversely to receive two squares intandem relation to the op erator who stands in front of the saws, theflap 34: will be brought down on top of the articles and will preferablybe held there by suitable retaining means as for example, the springlatch 37, while the operator grasps the handle bar 29 and actuates theCopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing-the Washington, D. G.

' upon said work table.

pressure saws as already described. The operator may then raise the sawsand the flap '34, either in the order named orsimultanethe way of theoperator, the latch engaging the bar 2-8 for this purpose, in theinstance illustrated. Having described my'invention thus full andsuitable means for carrying same into. effect, it will be understoodthat I do not limit myself to the specific construction and materialsillustrated and described, nor in general otherwise than asset forth in'the claims read in connection with this specification. V 7

What I claim as.new,-and desire to secure by Letters Patent is z 1.Cutting apparatus; comprising a work table; and an extended saw bladehaving near one end a fulcrum mounted on said table, said bladepresenting a serrated edge of radius shorter-than the length of theblade for acute sawing relation in every position of operativeengagement progressively with said work as the latter lies stationary 2.Cutting apparatus; comprisinga support forthe article to be cut; and aplurality of crescent saws of radius shorter than their lengthrespectively, and spaced apart to engage and saw said article to apredetermined shape; said saws each having near one end a fulcrummounted on said support; substantially as described. I

3. Cutting apparatus; comprising a support for a flat slate or similararticle to be out; two crescent'shaped saws spaced widely apart andarranged in parallelism to engage said article and square thesame; apivoted clamping leaf to engage said article between said members andclamp said article in position on said support; and means to enable saidleaf to be cleared from the work independently of said saws;substantially as described.

Witnesses:

ALEXADER C. PROUDFIT, GEORGE L. PAFoR'r,

Commissioner of Patents,

